Using Time Wisely

Organized to save money, energy, and time

You are here: Home / Archives for Household

Decorating: Hanging Wall Art – Part 2 of 3

by

Decorating: Hanging Wall Art – Part 2 of 3Having rented an apartment and townhouse for six years and looking at white walls, I was ready to decorate when we purchased our home almost 10 years ago. Since we were having our home built, I had a good 6 months to play with paint swatches and textures, and I did.

By the time we moved in, I had the colors chosen. Paul spent the first 2 years scraping popcorn from the ceilings and painting each room of our home. The result was a colorful home without any white walls. 😉

Content with our color choices, I am still careful not to damage the walls or add unnecessary marks or holes. In the first part of this hanging wall art series, I explained how I experiment with the wall art to find my favorite arrangement. Moving on to part two, I sketch the wall art arrangement.

Step Two: Sketch the Wall Art Arrangement

Decorating: Hanging Wall Art – Part 2 of 3With my wall art arranged on the floor, I take a large sheet of paper. I use a small easel pad that I received as a sample from Post It. This paper is peel ‘n stick which makes it nice to stick to the wall.

Taking the paper, I transfer the wall art onto the paper in the same arrangement. Using a pencil, I trace each item. Before removing the wall art, I poke a small hole in the paper where the nail or screw should go for easy alignment.

Removing the wall art from the paper, I have a complete sketch of the wall art arrangement. With the peel ‘n stick property of the paper, I just put up the paper and adjust on the wall until I find the perfect spot. I then stabilize the page with masking tape.

Similar to how I experiment, I leave the paper on the wall for a few days. I check to see if I will bump my head or knock anything off the wall. In this arrangement, the bottom item I am hanging is a magnet bar with clips. This piece will hold items in place which I will need to easily reach from my desk without accidentally knocking them when filing paperwork or functioning at my desk.

As this wall art serves both a decoration and a utility function, I needed to try out the arrangement before hanging it up permanently. That magnetic bar is heavy and the screws are big, so I wanted to be sure we did this arrangement correctly the first time.

After a few days, I realized that my arrangement was too high, so I readjusted my arrangement with less width and more height to meet my needs. Having the sketch on the wall helped me identify the distance before putting it on the wall and having to readjust and hide previous holes in the wall.

In using time wisely, I took my time about hanging this wall art arrangement. I experimented before sketching the arrangement on paper to display. Then I adjusted the paper as needed until I found the right height and arrangement that worked for me.

The last installment of this 3-part series will reveal the final results along with tips for hanging the wall art arrangement. As you decorate, finding the best arrangement is possible with a little patience, creativity, and planning. Happy decorating!

Question: Do you sketch your wall art arrangements before hanging them?

Decorating: Hanging Wall Art – Part 1 of 3

by

Decorating: Hanging Wall Art – Part 1 of 3Downstairs in our living room, we hung a beautiful mirror above our fireplace when we decorated that room many years ago. Our 19″ television set resided on a small round end table with toys about.

This arrangement worked until we purchased a Wii. Trying to play the games on that little screen was tough for one player and nigh impossible with multiple-player games.

Our solution was to upgrade to a 40” flat panel television when we found a fantastic sale. When our television arrived Christmas of 2011, we moved the mirror to our half bathroom wall and installed the television above our fireplace.

Since the mirror was larger than the television, the white holes on either side of our television glare at me from the wine-colored wall. Though we tried to patch them a bit, we will fix them permanently whenever we re-paint our living room.

Not desiring to see anymore holes in walls than needed, I am so careful about where I hang items in our house. I know that holes can be patched. But I also know that if I plan, then I may be able to prevent extra holes in our walls which will save us time and maintenance.

When I need to hang items on a wall, I have learned to follow these three steps:

  • Step One: Experiment with the Wall Art Arrangement

  • Step Two: Sketch the Wall Art Arrangement

  • Step Three: Hang the Wall Art Arrangement

Step One: Experiment with Wall Art Arrangement

Before getting the hammer, nails, or pencil, I experiment with the arrangement on the floor. I arrange it and rearrange it. Trying out all sorts of arrangements until I find the one I really like. Then I leave it on the floor for a few days.

I then try to rearrange it again. If I come up with another option, then I repeat the process by leaving it on the floor for a few days.

Once I have the arrangement I like best and have tried other options only to come back to this arrangement, then I move on to step two. This process takes me a week or more, but I enjoy the discovery of finding pleasing designs without putting holes in our walls.

As designing and decorating our home is fun, I do take my time to get it right the first time. In using time wisely, I find experimenting with the wall art creative and beneficial in my process to get the decor from the box to the wall. Happy decorating!

Question: How do you experiment with wall art arrangements?

Lessons from a Backpack

by

Lessons from a backpackAs we are still adjusting to our school routine, I had a mom mention to me that she doesn’t really know how school is going until mid-October.

At the time she mentioned that I thought it was odd that it would take over a month to make that determination. However, now that my children are in school all day and their responsibilities seem to increase each week, I am beginning to understand that mom’s statement.

Transitioning from second grade to third grade is a jump. From bringing home one accordion file with all the necessary homework and paperwork, we have graduated to a backpack full of books: Bible, history, math, science, Latin, grammar, and reading.

Learning to check for each book, notebook, and assignment before leaving school has been a bit of a struggle this year. Missing one or more items makes getting homework done difficult.

Finding that when I was near the beginning of car line, Mr. 8 seemed to forget more items at school. Having Paul stop by after work to pick up the left items was not a habit we were going to encourage or continue.

Though we are still adjusting to third grade, Mr. 8 has improved, and I have learned these lessons from a backpack:

Adjust my Pickup Schedule

In understanding my son, I realized he needs the time to go subject by subject to make sure he gets all his work placed in his backpack. So, I have adjusted my schedule to come to school right at the end of the school day rather than arriving early at the front of car line.

As the other students are getting picked up, Mr. 8 has a bit more time to go through his desk to make sure he has all the items he needs at home. He can then take his time to pack all the items into his backpack because I am not holding up car line waiting on him.

Ask about Homework

When Mr. 8 gets into the van, I will ask him if he has everything. Sometimes, I pull off to the side to give him time to check. I do this on days that he seems sidetracked or overly excited as he can get distracted and miss items.

If he is missing an item, we are still at school, and he can go get it. By asking, I can help him head off frustrations and problems while working or trying to get homework done later.

In using time wisely, I am learning how to help my son be responsible. It is his responsibility to keep up with his assignments and books. But in teaching him, I am finding him more responsible now that I have adjusted my pickup schedule and ask about homework before leaving the parking lot.

Eventually, I won’t need to make these adjustments. He will learn, but it will take some time. We are all learning. I even need to continue to adjust and change even if those lessons are from a backpack. Happy adjusting!

Question: What situations have you adjusted to help someone else?

Murphy’s Law Strikes Back

by

Murphy’s Law Strikes Back

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

Yep, it was Monday. The morning routine worked perfectly with Mr. 8 and Miss 6 off to school. Ran a few errands with Miss 3 and dropped her off for a day with Grandpa and Grandma. Ah, a morning to catch up and prepare for our dinner guests this evening.

In starting my week with a manageable plan, I was ready to conquer my downstairs, catch up on e-mail, and write a blog post or two. With the morning and part of the afternoon alone, I was getting in my groove.

Made the pan éclairs for dessert, switched the laundry, and chatted with my mother on the phone. All was going well and I was getting items marked off my To Do list when  . . . Murphy’s Law entered the picture.

The adage termed Murphy’s Law states: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.” As it usually does, my “anything” started with a phone call. Mr. 8’s teacher calling with the news that the power went out at the school and pickup was now at noon.

The Inciting Incident

What? No! How am I going to get everything done? Oh, the questions spun in my head as I grabbed my purse and headed out the door.

As I tried to recreate the rest of my day, I realized that I wasn’t going to get it all done, so I was going to have to adapt, adjust, and remain flexible as life just happened.

When I arrived, the car line was a mess. The noon dismissal individuals have a different pickup procedure than the full-day students resulting a parking lot disaster. Choosing to just park and get Miss 6, I found her very upset as she missed P.E. and recess due to the power outage. Then after getting Mr. 8, he was begging to play in the gym – again, no power.

The Detour

Well, the power was off in that entire section of town, so what’s a mom to do when her kids need some exercise? We improvised – ending up at Chick-fil-A for lunch. As I see my day fading away, I rearranged my priorities. These young ones needed a break. They had been without air conditioning, were hot and hungry, and needed a place to play.

The Hurdle

After eating and playing, we had to get home. Wanting to get homework done before dinner, we started. Well, what they missed in class ended up coming home. The whole afternoon was shot as we worked on homework until 4:30 p.m.

The Climb

As I looked at the clock and realized that our guests would arrive in 1.5 hours, I felt overwhelmed. Laundry had not been finished, the kitchen was a mess, dinner needed making, and the bathroom could use a wipe down. In using time wisely, I adjusted and focused only on what had to be done and skipped the extras.

The Team

Rallying the troops, I explained how today turned out differently than expected for all of us. Using this opportunity to teach my children, we worked together. They finished their task and came to ask what else was needed. Miss 6 wore out quickly, but Mr. 8 was a huge help from wiping down the sink and toilet with disinfecting wipes to moving the dining room chairs and running the upstairs items to my bedroom.

The Finish Line

With a 6:00 p.m. deadline, we worked all the way up to the sound of the doorbell. I had just finished cleaning the inside of the toilet when our guests arrived. Whew! It was a day. Dinner of Chicago-style stuffed pizza from Papa Murphy’s, cheese sticks, and salad along with pan eclairs for dessert was great, and our guests enjoyed hearing how Murphy’s Law Strikes Back.

Life will happen. Though I include extra time into our daily routines, sometimes shortcuts need to occur. I will end up going back to clean the bathroom and put away the clothes and the other items stashed in my bedroom. But in using time wisely, making adjustments is part of the journey.

To be honest, the day I had planned lacked excitement and adventure, but the day turned out so differently – and better. I got to hang out with my older two alone, enjoy a lunch outing, and our house was presentable for our dinner guests, who never would have known how quickly we adjusted.

As Murphy’s Law strikes back at your house, which will happen, try to roll with the punches and find the silver lining. Laugh lots, stay flexible, keep with the detours and the hurdles, and embrace the change of scenery. Happy navigating on this journey of using time wisely!

Question: How do you adjust when Murphy’s Law strikes back?

Comforts of Home: Accessible Blankets

by

Comforts of home: Accessible Blankets“I’m cold. Can we turn on the fan?”

“No, I’m hot.”

“Mom, can we turn off the fan?”

Such conversation used to be heard around our household. With my girls getting cold so easily and my son warm as can be, we needed a solution as we cannot have the heat and the air conditioner going at the same time. 😉

Since we keep our thermostat set around 70 during the summer, we use ceiling fans to cool the rooms when it gets too warm. In the winter, we keep our thermostat set around 68 to take the chill out of the air. If one gets cold, then she can go to the stack of accessible blankets in our living room kept year round.

Benefits of Accessible Blankets

The blessing of this stack of blankets is immediate access for chilly moments. When one gets cold, she just gets a blanket. No need to come ask or interrupt mom making dinner or assisting with homework to find a covering for her. Having the blankets accessible meets my family’s needs and saves me time.

Multiple Uses for Accessible Blankets

Blanket clubhouseBesides a covering, these blankets offer hours of play. A few of our favorite uses include:

    • Building tents/clubhouses
    • Rides down the hallway
    • Carrier for their toys – where the toys are wrapped up inside
    • Dress up – blankets make great capes
    • Puppet show prop

Having a stack of blankets gives my children a creative outlet. They invent games and play with the blankets in ways they do not do with their other toys.

Downfall to Accessible Blankets

As with all great ideas, there is a pitfall. Our blankets are not always found neatly folded. As my children play, they try to put them back, but their folding skills are not quite developed. So, the blankets are either in a rolled up heap crammed under the white board, or they are in a pile on the side.

I do not fold these every day, but I usually re-fold them a couple times a week. It just looks better when they are folded and put away.

007One solution to this pitfall is to use a window seat or similar furniture piece that opens from the top. Then the blankets could go in and the cover replaced – out of sight, but available when needed.

We don’t currently have one of these pieces, and we don’t need it at this time. It is just a suggestion, and something to keep in mind.

Having accessible blankets is a comfort in our home. Besides quickly wrapping up on a brisk fall afternoon, we use our blankets to have fun.

In building relationship by playing together, our family uses blankets. Yes, it is an obstacle to move out of the way when they are piled in a heap, but the benefits far outweigh the inconvenience. Happy comforting!

Question: What are some comforts of your home?